Workshop of Giovanni Bellini, 'The Adoration of the Kings', about 1475-80
About the work
Overview
In order to meet the huge demand for his paintings, Giovanni Bellini had a large workshop of assistants who produced works in his style, under his supervision – like this one, which shows the Three Kings worshipping the infant Christ. According to the Gospel of Matthew they followed a star – we can see it in the sky above Christ – to find him.
This painting is as much a landscape as it is a narrative painting. As is common in Bellini’s pictures, the natural features enhance the story: the expansive landscape can incorporate the long line of the kings‘ entourages, descending down the hillside path towards the holy family. The kings were from ’the east', which meant that painters could depict them wearing outfits, particularly turbans, that they associated with cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond.
The paint surface is considerably worn but the head of the king kneeling at the front is the best preserved part of the picture.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Adoration of the Kings
- Artist
- Workshop of Giovanni Bellini
- Artist dates
- about 1435 - 1516
- Date made
- about 1475-80
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 109.9 × 208.9 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Layard Bequest, 1916
- Inventory number
- NG3098
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Martin Davies, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1951Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools, London 1951
-
1986Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools, revised edn, London 1986
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.